The Singer's Gun by Emily St. John Mandel

I enjoyed Mandel's first book, reviewed here, and her second book provides another great read.

Anton Waker is at a crossroads in his life. Until recently, his existence was largely based on participating in the shady dealings of the family business. Now he wants to clean up his morals and get out, but not before his cousin Aria demands he run one last job for her. Torn between thoughts of his affair with his co-worker and his indifferent bride to be, Anton agrees and heads towards events that are ultimately inevitable.

THE SINGER'S GUN is a worthy sophomore novel that reads true enough to be ripped from today's headlines. Emily St. John Mandel has a liquid style of writing where she can tell multiple story lines simultaneously and switch tenses between present and past, all the while keeping the pacing flowing smoothly. The way she unfolds Anton's story through the chapters captured my attention and held it rapt until I finished. Mandel understands that people are never one-dimensional, and so she writes her characters deeply layered. It will be interesting to watch her grow as an author in her future books.

Overall Rating: 3 Stars